Instead Carney called on Congress to enact Obama’s economic agenda of increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour and renewing long-term unemployment insurance benefits.

“The American economy is moving forward, but there is much more to do to ensure that more middle class Americans — and those striving to get into it — can get ahead,” Carney said. “Congress can start by raising the minimum wage so that no one who works full time raises their family in poverty, restoring emergency unemployment insurance for the 1.7 million Americans searching every day for a job who need this vital lifeline to support their families, and taking vital steps to strengthen our economy and restore opportunity for all Americans.”

The White House saw House Speaker John Boehner’s move as vindication of its no-negotiating strategy. The House vote on a clean debt limit increase marks the third consecutive time Republicans have received nothing from Obama in exchange for a debt limit increase.

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew had said earlier this month that the federal government would reach its debt limit by Feb. 27.